How to Choose the Right Beach Rental Property for Your Vacation

When going on a beach vacation, the first thing that anyone thinks about is where they will be staying. For the majority of all beach vacation spots you will have your option of three types of lodgings, or rental properties; hotels, condos and beach houses. Each type of rental property has it's advantages and disadvantages. In this article we will discuss the pros and cons of each rental type and how you can choose the right beach rental for your family during your beach vacation.

Choosing Hotel Rooms for Your Beach Vacation:

Advantages- A few advantages to using a hotel room for your beach vacation are room service, housekeeping and usually internet access. When staying in a hotel room it's very easy just to call up room service for dinner or housekeeping for extra towels. When you go out to spend the day on the beach you will always come back to a freshly made room with clean towels. If you have problems you simply call up the front desk and complain until someone rushes right up to correct the problem.

Disadvantages- A few disadvantages to using a hotel room during your beach vacation are food expenses are higher, limited room to move around, when there are several people in the room, and privacy can be an issue. When staying in a hotel room, during your beach vacation, food expenses are always higher because you don't have a kitchen to cook your own meals in. You will more inclined to run to the nearest restaurant or gas station to buy something to eat or even to give room service a call (which always includes a hefty tip/delivery charge). If you are staying in a hotel room with your family there is the problem of limited space to move. I can tell you from personal experience, that it's no fun to be in a hotel room with three children who normally enjoy having space to run and play. It can get cramped, tempers can flare and there will be tantrums. Of course, you could always spend the extra money for an adjoining room, but there would be that extra cost of that extra room each night (which is another disadvantage to staying in a hotel room during your beach vacation). Then you have the problem with privacy. Yes, in most hotels they have a little sign for you to hang on your door so that housekeeping will leave you alone, but how many of you can raise your hand to say that you've had housekeeping come in on you anyway? ME! Even with that little security latch at the top of the door I've had a housekeeping person try to force their way in on me. Not to mention all of the people that run through the hotel corridors yelling and talking loudly while your six month old baby is trying to nap. Never assume that other people in the hotel will display common courtesy.

Is it Right for You- A hotel room can be a good choice for you during your beach vacation if you are staying for a short amount of time, aren't going with a lot of people and if you don't have a problem with eating out or privacy issues. If you plan on staying more than 2-3 days then I would have to suggest checking into condos or beach houses for your vacation rental property.

Choosing Condominiums for Your Beach Vacation:

Advantages- A few advantages to choosing a condo for your beach vacation are cheaper food bill, more space for family, more privacy and more of a home-like atmosphere. When you choose a condo as your beach rental property you will be able to save money on your food bill buy cooking for yourself. A vacation rental condo is normally fully furnished with all of the appliances that you will need during your stay. You can cook as many or as few meals for you and your family as you want to, therefore saving you either a little or a lot of money on your food bill. It's up to you. You will also have a full size refrigerator to stock with drinks and snacks so that you don't have to run out to the expensive grocery store everytime you want a snack. Having more space for your family to move around is another big advantage to choosing a condo. I will never go back to hotel rooms, at least while my children are little and going on vacation with me. A condo usually has more than one bedroom, therefore everyone should have their own room to play in, this helps tremendously when you have small children that want to build a block castle or just crawl around on the floor. As for privacy, you normally won't have to worry about someone barging in to make your bed or to pick up your dirty towels right when you want to nurse your baby or put your toddler down for a nap. I've found that condos, and their home-like atmosphere, are wonderful when you have small children.

Disadvantages- A few disadvantages to choosing a condo for your beach vacation are no room service, no housekeeping, you must supply a lot of your own items and you are in charge of cleaning up before you leave. When you stay in a condo you have to remember that you are staying in someone else's home. They expect it to be in the same condition when you leave as it was when you arrived. Therefore, it is up to you to clean the condo and make sure everything is back into it's rightful place just like it was when you arrived. There is no housekeeping staff to come in after you leave. You are responsible for cleaning up after yourself. You will also have to bring things that you wouldn't normally bring with you if you were staying in a hotel. Things like paper towels, laundry detergent and toilet paper. Most condos have washing machines and dryers and you will have to bring along your own laundry detergent if you plan to use these appliances. Most condo rentals will be supplied with one roll of toilet paper per bathroom and one roll of paper towels. If you will need more than that then you will have to bring more with you. Also consider that if there were to be any problems with your condo you probably won't be able to just up and move to another condo like you can in a hotel. Say, for example, that the A/C goes out, well you will have to report that and your rental agent will get a repair person out to you as soon as possible. That could be immediately or it could be the next day. These are really minor disadvantages but they are disadvantages to choosing a condo as your vacation rental.

Is it Right for You- Choosing a condo for your beach vacation would be great for you if you are staying for a week or more, enjoy more privacy, don't mind cooking for yourself and you are taking several people with you. Choosing a condo for your beach vacation can help you have a more enjoyable time during your time spent on vacation.

Choosing Beach Houses for Your Beach Vacation:

Advantages- The advantages to choosing a beach house for your beach vacation are similar to the advantages to choosing a condo, with the inclusion that many beach house rentals will also supply things like outdoor grills and beach equipment. You will have more space to enjoy, a kitchen to cook your meals in, privacy and a home-like atmosphere. Beach house rentals are great for stays that are a week or longer and when you have several people going on vacation with you.

Disadvantages- The disadvantages to choosing a beach house for your beach vacation are similar to the disadvantages to choosing a condo. Beach house rentals also have a tendency to be higher in price because, well, it's a house. You will be required to clean up after yourself before you leave the beach house, there's no room service or housekeeping staff and if problems arise there could be a long wait before it is repaired.

Is it Right for You- Choosing a beach house for your vacation rental would be good for you if you are staying for a week or more, have several people coming with you and enjoy your privacy. They are great for those people who want to cook for themselves in order to save a little money. Unfortunately, beach house rentals will cost you more money in the long run than a hotel or condo, especially if it is right on the beach instead of a block away.

You will want to consider each of these rental property types and decide which one is right for your family during your beach vacation. Consider how long you will be staying and compare the prices of each rental type for the length of time you will want to be there. Make sure that you are alright with cleaning if you choose a condo or beach house for your vacation rental. Always make sure that you book several months in advance if you decide to choose a condo or beach house. These tend to get booked a lot sooner than hotel rooms do. When you do settle on the perfect one for you, it's time to settle back and get ready to enjoy your vacation. Or better yet, check out my article called How to Save Money During Your Beach Vacation.

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